


found family

by lbarnes



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-16 23:55:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10582110
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lbarnes/pseuds/lbarnes
Summary: When Shiro gets accepted to his first job as a teacher, Matt and Keith decide to make him a surprise dinner.It doesn't go as planned.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Agapostemon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agapostemon/gifts).



In all honesty, they should have known this was a bad idea from the start. Matt’s been there through the years to witness Keith not only burn the majority of the food he’s attempted to cook, but also nearly burn down the _house_ at least a dozen times.

And Keith’s seen the monstrosities that Matt’s tried to create, even worse than that, Keith knows that half his recipes come from Pinterest and the other half from some obscure part of the internet.

Individually, they’re a disaster in the kitchen. Why they thought they’d be any less of a disaster together, neither of them could figure out. Wishful thinking, perhaps. They were both so eager to do something for Shiro that they forgot cooking isn't something they should be doing for anyone.

Their well meaning, but not at all thought out plan to make Shiro a congratulatory dinner, currently has them in the kitchen arguing about whether or not boil-in-bag rice is an acceptable method to cook rice.

“I’ve done it before,” Matt argues, as if that makes it a reasonable option, as if he hasn’t already used this exact reasoning with Shiro before, only to get shut down. _Just because Matt’s done something before, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea_. It usually means the opposite.

“Yeah, and haven’t you and Shiro had this argument like a hundred times already?” Keith points out, and then adds, “Why are _we_ having it? There’s a thing called a rice cooker for a _reason_.”

Instead of answering him, Matt spins around, opening one of the cupboards behind him. Keith sighs loudly, waiting for Matt to find whatever it is he’s looking for.

No more than thirty seconds later, he turns around empty handed. “I had like three boxes of boil-in-bag rice in here last time I checked!” Matt claims, and Keith just shakes his head in disbelief. He may not be perfect in the kitchen, but at least he’s not as bad as Matt.

(Matt would say at least he’s not as bad as Keith.)

“He did you a favor,” Keith says with a shrug.

“I spent money on those!”

“You mean you wasted money on them,” Keith corrects.

“You know what, it’s fine. We can just poke tiny holes in a ziplock bag an—”

“Matt,” Keith interrupts, eyes widening at how horrible of an idea that is.

“You’re boring,” Matt finally says, which Keith takes as him conceding.

“And you’re a disaster,” Keith says back.

Matt snorts. “Like you’re any better.”

“I’m better than you,” Keith argues.

That argument, however, doesn't quite hold up.

Not only does Keith manage to burn himself twice (and nearly a third time), but he also ends up putting a hot pan on the counter, which isn't something anyone should do if they want to keep their counters safe.

“Keith!” Matt squeaks, nearly falling backwards as he moves in a quick motion to grab the pan and place it on the stove to cool down.

Keith presses his lips together, letting out a quiet, “Oops.” He wishes he could say this is the first time he's made that same mistake.

“Oops,” Matt mimics, playfully mocking, “let me just destroy the entire kitchen.”

Keith rolls his eyes, mumbling, “Not the _entire_ kitchen.”

"Oh, because that's any better."

"Shut up."

“You’re lucky I’m here to save you from yourself,” Matt boasts, dropping his hand on Keith’s back in an attempt to pat.

Keith rolls his eyes, ready to swat the hand away when he notices water bubbling over the sides of the rice cooker.

“ _What did you do?_ ” Keith asks, abandoning his chicken so he can get to the rice cooker and clean up the mess before it gets any bigger.

“I didn’t do anything!” Matt insists, throwing his hands up, standing to the side as Keith cleans the spilled water.

Keith shakes his head when the water is all wiped away, sighing loudly. He looks at Matt, raises his eyebrows, and asks, “So, who’s lucky to have who?”

Matt gives Keith an unamused look, making a big show of rolling his eyes and huffing before he turns around, giving his full attention to the rice. (Hopefully he hasn’t completely fucked it up.)

“Shit,” he hears a few seconds later, which has him turning back around, facing a distressed Keith.

Matt tries not to grin.

He fails.

“So Keith,” he starts, stretching the words out, “ _What did you do?_ ” He throws the question back in Keith's face.

“Don’t say a word,” Keith warns, pointing a finger in Matt’s direction, glaring.

Matt doesn’t say a word, but he does laugh.

“Shut up,” Keith grumbles, which only makes Matt laugh harder.

So Keith might have burnt the chicken. That’s fine. That’s okay. He can work with this. It’s not that bad. Maybe Shiro won’t notice.

Keith knows that’s a lie. Even if it was only burnt slightly (which, okay, maybe it’s a little more than slightly burnt), Shiro would still notice.

Keith sighs loudly, and prepares himself for Matt’s taunting.

“I, uh, think I have to re cook the chicken.”

This time, Matt doesn’t even try and repress the grin that makes it’s way to his face. “What was that?” Matt asks, his voice full of mock innocence. “I didn’t quite hear you.”

“Just shut up and help me,” Keith grumbles, holding the pan with all the burned chicken out to Matt so he can throw it away.

They’re both too caught up in their own mess to notice when the front door opens, Matt not willing to let Keith off that easy.

“ _Did you just say you need my help?_ ” Matt asks dramatically, deepening Keith’s glare.

“Actually, you know what, I think I can do this all on m—”

It’s that moment Shiro chooses to speak, staring between the two of them in worried confusion.

“Uh, guys?” He greets wearily, setting in motion a chain of events that starts with the pan slipping from Keith’s grip.

For a moment, the only sound is the bang of the pan hitting the floor, chicken going everywhere. And then Keith and Matt are shuffling around in a hurry, both of them moving to pick up the pan, and of course, _of course_ what happens instead is that their foreheads collide.

They both groan in pain, stumbling backwards as a stunned Shiro stands in silence, witnessing the mess before him.

So, maybe their plan didn't quite work out how they’d hoped.

Keith and Matt make eye contact, still on the floor, expressions a mix of mortification and embarrassment.

Matt leans forward, reaching out to grab the pan, and then they both stand up, the chicken still scattered all over.

Matt puts the pan in the sink, finally letting his gaze rest on Shiro, and attempts to smile.

“Surprise,” he says, holding his arms out to his sides, shoulders shrugged upward.

Keith looks from Matt to Shiro, and then— _and then_ Shiro starts laughing.

It’s not just a chuckle either, he _busts_ out laughing, like this is the funniest thing he’s ever seen.

Keith and Matt share a tentative look, and when their eyes return to Shiro he’s shaking his head.

“Sorry, sorry,” he says, calming his laughter. “Did you guys— _did you try and cook for me?_ ”

Keith and Matt share another glance, this time their expressions mirroring offense.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Keith asks, which only causes another burst of laughter from Shiro.

“He’s laughing because you can’t cook,” Matt says, nudging Keith, and Shiro’s laughter stops.

He shakes his head, and Keith thinks he’s about to defend him, but instead what comes out is, “Matt, babe, I’m laughing because _neither_ of you can cook.”

Shiro looks between the two of them, trying not to fall into another fit of laughter. He can’t even count on his fingers the number of times Keith nearly burnt the house down when they were kids. Just last week he’d managed to set the smoke alarm off.

And Matt… Shiro didn't even want to get started with Matt. Keith may have been a fire hazard, and danger in general, but Matt got all of his cooking advice from online blogs with titles like “How to be a Boss in the Kitchen.”

He doesn't think either of them have ever successfully made a meal on their own, and yet here they are, together, trying to cook for him.

It’s sweet.

Not as sweet as it is funny, but still.

“We wanted to do something nice for you,” Matt tells Shiro, and now he looks a little defeated. “to congratulate you on your job.”

Shiro smiles softly, and he holds his hand out to Matt, who takes it. “This _is_ nice,” Shiro assures him, pulling him closer. He presses a kiss to Matt’s forehead, and then his smile widens. “Besides, I haven't laughed that hard in a while.”

Keith makes a gagging sound, and Shiro turns to him, grin turning mischievous. “Feeling left out, Keith?” Shiro asks, and Keith shakes his head, but it’s too late, Shiro throws his arms around him, rocking them back and forth.

Keith lets himself get rocked, and when Shiro finally pulls away, Keith makes a face at him and says, “You’re a bully,” but he has to work to keep the amusement from his voice.

“You think I’m the best brother ever,” Shiro tells him, and Keith can’t even bring himself to pretend it’s not the truth.

“Okay so, maybe you’re not that bad,” Keith settles on, and Shiro seems content enough with that.

Matt clears his throat, grabbing their attention, and then gestures to the fallen chicken. “So, uh. We should probably do something about this.”

Shiro nods in agreement, “You’re right,” he says, passing the two of them so he can grab the trash can. He sets it down next to the mess and then turns to Keith and Matt with a quick, “Have fun,” and a smirk before taking a seat at the table.

“ _Shirooo_ ,” Keith whines, “Aren’t you going to help us? It’s like, bonding or something.”

“Families who clean together stay together,” Matt offers, but Shiro doesn’t budge.

“I think you’ve got it handled all on your own,” Shiro says with a grin, and while they get to work, Shiro feels something bubbling in his chest.

_It’s happiness._

He feels like his life is finally falling into place. He’s about to start working as a teacher, he’s been with Matt since their senior year of high school, and Keith recently moved in with them because they’re conveniently placed near his college.

Things were rough for a while, after the accident his freshman year of college. It was supposed to be a fresh start for them and instead Matt had ended up in the hospital for a month and Shiro had lost an arm.

That day still lives with them both, and sometimes it makes it hard to breath, but they survived. They made it through, together, and now everything is falling together. Now he’s _happy_ , and he gets to come home to Keith, who’s like a brother to him, and his boyfriend, who is, as cheesy as it sounds, the love of his life.

He grew up with Keith. Even before Shiro’s family took him in, Keith was like a part of the family. Their parents were best friends until they passed away, which meant a lot of staying at each other’s houses and a lot of petty bickering. They’ve always felt like siblings, and now Shiro gets to keep an eye on him while he starts college, gets to make sure he doesn't get himself into too much trouble.

And then there’s Matt, who’s been his best friend since middle school. They were there for every embarrassing phase, through the good, through the bad, and through everything in between. It wasn't until high school that feelings started to develop, and it wasn't until senior year that either of them took a chance and acted on those feelings. They’ve always been friends before anything else.

He’s spent his life with Keith and Matt, and to be able to sit here and watch them bicker back and forth like they’re family, to know that two of the most important people in his life tried to make him a surprise dinner, despite being absolute disasters in the kitchen, it makes his heart ache with a sort of gratitude.

This is his life. These are his people.

And it’s really, _really_ go—

But he doesn't get a chance to finish that thought before a piece of chicken is flung at his face, followed by a fit of giggles from Keith and Matt, who are currently mid high five.

Shiro tries to put on a stern face, tries to hide the smile that’s attempting to take over. “I can stop making you guys food,” Shiro threatens.

“And leave us to our own devices?” Matt asks, gasping for affect.

“We’d burn the house down!” Keith adds between laughs, and Shiro can’t help it, he laughs too.

“You guys are hopeless,” Shiro says, shaking his head in amusement.

“Yeah,” Matt agrees, “but you love us.”

“We even gave you the honors of throwing away the last piece of chicken,” Keith tells him, pointing to the piece they threw at him, that’s currently sitting on the ground next to his chair.

“How nice of you,” Shiro says, making a big show of sighing, but he picks up the piece anyway, walking it over to the trash.

Keith and Matt start clapping the moment it leaves Shiro’s hand, but the clapping comes to an abrupt stop when Matt jumps up with a loud, “Oh!”

Shiro looks at him, questioning. “Oh?”

“I got you something!” Matt informs, looking a lot like an excited puppy.

“You got me something?” Shiro repeats, surprised.

Matt nods his head, grinning. It’s nothing major, but he knows Shiro will love it, and he can’t wait to see the look on his boyfriend’s face when he sees it.

Matt grabs Shiro’s hand and drags him forward, towards their bedroom.

Keith decides not to follow them, letting them be gross and sappy on their own. (Keith pretends he wouldn’t want what they have, but in all honesty, he looks up to their relationship. Of course, he’d never tell either of them that.)

Matt pauses when they get to the door, eyes bright and excited. Shiro wants to lean down and kiss him, but he figures it can wait a few more minutes.

They walk into the room, and sitting on their bed is a box of chocolates and a giant stuffed teddy bear.

Shiro’s face lights up like a Christmas tree, or the sun, or whatever the hell else lights up.

It’s just some chocolates and a teddy bear to most people, but to them, it’s special.

“Do you remember?” Matt asks, even though the look on Shiro’s face is clue enough.

“I’ll never forget,” Shiro says, and then he _does_ kiss Matt, gentle and deep. “It was one of the best days of my life,” he breaths when they pull away.

“Mine too,” Matt says, his face as bright as Shiro’s.

The gift matters because that’s how Matt confessed to Shiro, after almost six years of friendship and at least three years of crushing on each other, by asking him to the winter formal with a box of chocolates. The same kind currently sitting on their bed. It was cliche and cheesy, but it will always be one of Shiro’s best memories.

Instead of immediately saying yes, the first thing Shiro had said was, “The only thing that could make this better is a giant teddy bear.”

Hence, the giant teddy bear next to the chocolates.

“I finally got you the bear,” Matt says, and he’s smiling, and Shiro is smiling back, and they’re both wondering how in the world they were so lucky that they got to fall in love with their best friend.

Shiro reaches for Matt’s hand, running his thumb over it as he leans in for another kiss, short and sweet.

“I love you,” he says, “even if you do think boil-in-bag rice is an acceptable method to make rice.”

“ _Wooow_ ,” Matt says, dragging out the word, “and to think I was just about to say I love you too.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve heard you say it a million times before,” Shiro tells him, and Matt can’t help but grin.

“I still don’t see the issue with boil-in-bag rice,” Matt says after a moment, which launches a five minute debate on the topic of rice. Not an unusual occurrence for them.

In the other room, Keith decides to get something to eat, since dinner was a huge fail, and because making something else probably isn't the best idea, he decides to go with something easy.

Something like ice cream.

And since there aren't any clean spoons, he grabs one of the chopsticks that Shiro keeps in their silverware drawer and uses it instead.

He’s sticking the chopstick into the ice cream when Shiro and Matt come back out, announcing their arrival with a loud, “Guess what we’re having for dinner.”

Keith looks at them, and they look back, and then everyone looks at the ice cream in front of Keith.

When no one says anything, Keith asks, “What? You’re not going to tell me how I shouldn’t be eating ice cream for dinner? That’s so unlike you Shiro.”

“He can’t,” Matt says, holding up a box of chocolates, “Cause this is our dinner.”

Keith _ooos_ through a grin, getting up and walking towards Matt and Shiro. “Chocolate. Sounds good.”

Matt holds the chocolate out of reach, “You’ve got your ice cream, shoo!”

Keith keeps reaching, and Matt nudges Shiro with a whispered, “Go long.”

Shiro runs into the living room, and Matt throws the chocolates in his direction.

Keith pouts, and then goes back to his ice cream, holding it protectively to his chest. “Fine. I’ll just eat the rest of this then.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Shiro asks. “You shouldn't even be eating it in the first place, you’re lactose intolerant.”

Keith holds the ice cream closer. “Nope, I’m _Shiro and Matt intolerant_ ,” he declares, “and I’m going to eat the rest of this ice cream if it’s the last thing I do.”

Shiro rolls his eyes but doesn't argue. “Do you at least want to spend your last moments watching something with us?”

Keith makes a completive face, tapping his foot on the ground a few times like he has to consider it first, even though they all know he’s going to say yes. “What are we watching?”

“Parks and rec!” Matt rushes to get out, like he can't say it fast enough.

Keith raises an eyebrow. “Haven't you already seen like, every episode at least twice?” Keith knows he’s heard the theme song at least that many times.

“Yeah,” Matt admits, “but you haven’t.”

Keith shakes his head, sighing, but it doesn't come out sounding stressed or upset in any way. “I guess I can spare some time to hang out with you guys.”

“That’s so sweet of you Keith,” Shiro says, sitting down on the couch with the box of chocolates in hand.

Matt lets his body fall onto the couch, half sprawled on Shiro, half leaving no room for Keith.

“I’ll sit on you, Matt,” Keith warns, and when all Matt does is grin Keith starts to sit down, but then Matt squirms to move.

“Okay, okay!” Matt says through a laugh, getting comfortable next to Shiro.

“That’s what I thought,” Keith says in an intimidating voice that isn't actually intimidating at all.

Shiro wraps an arm around Matt, pulling him closer, and Matt drops his head on Shiro’s shoulder, smiling up at him.

It’s one of those simple moments, one of those everyday moments that reminds them how in love they are.

“I’m sorry dinner didn’t work out,” Shiro says in a soft voice, rubbing circles into Matt’s shoulder.

“It's okay,” Matt tells him, “I have something better.”

Shiro’s lip pulls up in a smile. “Oh yeah. What’s that?”

“You,” Matt says, eyes shining as he watches Shiro’s smile grow.

Shiro opens his mouth to say something sweet but instead he gets hit in the head with a pillow, and his eyes go to Keith, the obvious culprit.

Keith shrugs innocently. “It was an accident.”

“So is this,” Matt says with a grin, throwing the pillow back.

Keith catches it, and then moves it to the side so it’s not in the way of his ice cream. “You guys are safe to be sappy again.”

“Don’t worry Keith,” Shiro says, the words dramatically nice, “One day you’ll find someone to be sappy with too.”

Keith scrunches up his face. “I’ll never be that sappy.”

“Whaatever you saaay,” Shiro says before pulling Matt in for a kiss, to which Keith rolls his eyes.

“Thank you for trying,” Shiro whispers when they pull away, letting his finger rest on Matt’s face, over one of his scars.

“Anything for you,” Matt says, and then he tries to keep the mischief from his expression as he adds, “And oh, we have to stop by the store tomorrow. Someone threw out all my boil-in-bag rice.”

Shiro groans, pushing Matt away. “I’m breaking up with you.”

“I love you too,” Matt tells him, smirking as he wraps an arm around Shiro, placing a quick kiss to his cheek.

That same happiness bubbles in Shiro's chest.


End file.
